1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to zig zag sewing machines of a kind wherein a needle bar has a basting position beyond its zig zagging range.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Zig Zag sewing machines commonly include means for unlatching a needle bar from endwise reciprocating mechanisms and for holding such needle bar in a basting position beyond its zig zagging range when operating instructions to the machine call for a skipped stitch. It has been a problem with such machines that the holding mechanism has sometimes failed to retain the needle bar in the basting position. In order to prevent a needle bar from decending from the basting position with consequent damage to a sewing needle as upon impact with a presser foot, machines have been provided with internal camming means as shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,559,601 of Edward Tullman for "Skip Stitch Mechanism for Household Sewing Machines" issued Feb. 21, 1971, and in the U.S. Patent application of Kenneth D. Adams and Gerald J. Creed for "Needle Bar Deflecting Arrangement for a Skip Stitch Sewing Machine Ser. No. 212,384 filed Dec. 3, 1980, U.S. Pat. No. 4,312,284 to urge the needle bar in a direction preventing the sewing needle from moving along a collision course with the presser foot. However, the use of such internal camming means has the disadvantage of adding both material and manufacturing costs to a machine.
It is a prime object of this invention to provide an improved simple inexpensive means effective to prevent damage to either a single needle or multi-needle sewing instrumentality as a consequence of downward movement thereof with a needle bar from a basting position of the needle bar outside its zig zagging range.